There is no longer any question that John Lennon sold his soul to Satan? The case Joseph Niezgoda makes in "The Lennon Prophecy" is about as airtight as it gets. I mean, hey, we're talking creation science levels of proof here. Niezgoda's conclusions are unassailable.

Each proof--whether it's the missing "The" on the back of the "Abbey Road" album or the fact that Charles Manson believed the title of the song "Revolution #9" sounded a lot like the Bible's Revelations Chapter 9--is incontrovertible. Yes, it's as incontrovertible as the fact that Adam loved to feed carrots to his pet stegosaurus, Pokey.

But as good as this book is, the addition of a chapter about all the country musicians who've bested Satan would have made it even better. That's a story that doesn't often get told in the libumetrocialist media. They'd rather we believed that Lucifer has domain over all music, when in fact Beelzebub only digs rock and the blues. That's why there's never been a book written about how Charlie Daniels out-fiddled The Deceiver or how the second most heterosexual American (I'm the first), Horatio Lee Jenkins, kicked Satan's puking butt in a drinking contest Drunker Than Satan Ep. The libumetrocialists don't want us to know.

There's also the question about whether John Lennon, Nancy Pelosi, Mia Farrow, Dan Rather, and Satan all participated in a ceremony that resulted in Obama's conception. It's not covered in this book at all. I mean, sure, we've all seen Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate--so maybe he was born there--but does anyone really know how and where he was conceived? Was Lennon's Satanic seed involved? Was it in a foreign place like San Francisco? We don't know, because Niezgoda fails to address it. But then maybe that's another book.

VERY INTERESTING BOOK AND WORTH READING....ALSO, QUITE AN EDUCATION...I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO LENNON'S DEATH....

STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO ANY AND ALL INTERESTING IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT LENNON..AND HIS ULTIMATE DEMISE.....

As someone who has studied the Beatles nearly all my life - I was knocked out when I heard the author discuss his findings on "Coast to Coast AM." As one who has become well versed in "Paul is Dead" hysteria, this was a new approach that was very compelling in Beatles mythology. Although the author takes a giant leap in his thesis - he bases it out of the facts: Lennon's quest for fame, his irreverance towards organized religion, his fatalist fascination with the end of his life and most importantly, the lyrics that ring eerily true throughout his career. Although none of us can know for sure if Lennon 'sold his soul' on a cold December day in 1960, Niezgoda does present a compelling argument about finding sudden fame and dealing with the consequences. One of the most fascinating parts of "The Lennon Prophecy" were the clues in regards to "He who must not be named" and his motivation to kill John Lennon. Although the book itself reads like a grad students thesis (this I would fault the editor more than the author), the examples of "selling ones soul" throughout literature, peppered with fascinating examples of numerology, the discussion of the occult and the price one pays for dealing with the devil are all very well thought out and expressed in a straight forward and simple manner. Niezgoda does not dwell in Christian morals or the need to be 'saved,' but simply gives his take about what may have been the root of the Beatles magic. If Lennon did indeed sell his soul, even though he was irreverant towards established religion - one thing he cannot argue is that the music did more than devil would have liked - it brought peace and joy to the masses and inspired the following generations to love. I did find it interesting that there are very few references to Yoko Ono - but again, the Lennon Estate is very litigious - and this may be more of a strategic decision and one that is probably the best card played.

Although I don't believe in this hypothesis - I can say that this is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves spooky stories and rock and roll mythology. I think the author should also explore this possibility for any number of rock stars - Jim Morrison being one - who struggled with instant fame while being slowly eaten by his genius. A quick read, thoroughly enjoyable and at times, downright frightening to wonder if we live in a world of angels and demons - and to question who of most recent fame may face a similar fate.

As a lifelong Beatles fan and one who can say I remember where I was when "I heard the news," I was naturally drawn to this book.

The Lennon Prophecy is part convincing and gripping horror tale and part preposterous conjecture.

This is clearly more than just another book about John Lennon. It is as much about the devil, numerology, clues, and human nature. Niezgoda devotes about a quarter of the book to understanding Mark David Chapman, provides a chapter on devil pacts, such as that with Dr. Faustus, and even includes half a chapter on James Joyce and supposed "clues" within his work, Finnegan's Wake. Fascinating! Mostly...

Niezgoda opens the book with a disclaimer; he prepares his reader for what is to follow with an apologetic intro assuring us of his lifelong love of his hero and subject. He also provides the reader with the background necessary to fully appreciate his thesis. He has to remind us that Beatlemania really WAS unprecedented and magical in its time (without this basic premise, much of his theory would fall apart). He reminds us that to this day, the Beatles really never have been matched in popularity or pop music influence. Niezgoda also offers a sort of Satan 101: the devil and man in literature and history. He provides all the details necessary in John Lennon's and Mark David Chapman's childhoods to make the convergence of their lives all the more appreciable as an unlikely event -- not a mere coincidence.

This is all very effective, for Niezgoda occasionally needs to refer back not only to precursors in Lennon's and Chapman's childhoods but also to how the devil typically operates in order to make a point about a clue. How fitting it all is!

However, I do find the book's quality spotty and its organization less than polished. There are more than a few typos and/or poorly formed paragraphs. And more than once I found myself groaning in disbelief at the forced conclusions Niezgoda makes, particularly in the area of numerology and in the Finnegan's Wake passages. All that's needed, it seems, is an imagination! But most often, Niezgoda was able to turn my mind around within the very next paragraph. Almost without exception, the author manages to anticipate readers' doubts and counter them intelligently. Toward the end of the book I got the sense Niezgoda grew tired and went off on tangents, though. For instance, I feel he lost focus and tried to cover too much ground with the passages on George Harrison's own ordeal with a crazed home intruder in 1999, despite that intruder's accusing remarks about the Beatles and ties with the occult.

On balance, I found this to be a meticulously researched, wonderful and truly frightening read. I'll never hear Beatles or Lennon music with the same ears again, nor will I see Beatles-related images in the same way again. While this book has most definitely renewed my life-long love of their music, I also find myself averting my eyes from the back cover and Lennon's Rock-and-Roll-Circus-era, cold, beady and piercing stare. I have to turn the book over!

Along with some passage cuts (and perhaps a few corrections), this book could be improved with the addition of a handy timeline/chronology. Perhaps the book can be revised and re-issued?

It was a little eerie, and odd, that at the exact moment I opened this book, the Beatles, "Paperback writer," surged out of the speakers of the diner I visited. I had to think to myself. Am I being tempted too? As a writer, isn't fame and glory what I've dreamed about all my life?
After reading the book, I appreciate anonymity more than ever...
Joseph Niezgoda is a clever man who spins a premise faster than an F5 tornado. Like the prophecies of Nostradamus, so much of what Lennon has written or stated has turned into an industry, whereby, people make careers out of speculative and wild interpretations. At least in Niezgoda's case, he's thourough, witty, and entertaining. Though, what he asserts, in my mind, is an obvious stretch, I must say I enjoyed many of the chapters, especially the dissections of Joyce's, "Finnegan's Wake," and Salinger's, "The Catcher in the Rye." In my view, both works and their respective authors, are vastly overrated and sort of deserving of such pitiful adoration.
There's no doubt that Lennon and the Beatles all were playing Russian roulette with their occult fascinations. As a young boy, I recall my cousin Joe playing the records backwards for the hidden messages. The probability of voices or phrases being heard, without the aid or consent of the artists or producers, is astronomically high. Somehow, big brother John had his hand in all of it.
If you like jamming square pegs into round holes, this book will amuse your mind for a day or two. The myth lives on.

Just finished the book, I couldn't put it down after reading the first page. A total new outlook on some of the things we have already known about and a ton of new clues. Be sure to check out the authors web site and blog, lot of great stuff. [..]

The book has been a non-stop read since UPS delivered it, I keep finding myself re-reading chapters and finding more interesting things in the book each time. The author clearly has a strong knowledge of John Lennon and The Beatles, his take on Lennon's death is new and fresh.

I was never a true Beatles fan but my curosity got the best of me and I loved it. This is truly a great book. Can't wait to tell all my friends about it.

This book was extremely riveting to read. It was an interesting story and kept you wondering if his death could have been prevented. The book had me captivated until the very end! I would definitely recommend this book and especially to people who love to read and discover facts about the Beatles, as I do!!

I actually can't wait to read this book ! I went to school with Joe, and even back in elementary school he was fanatic about the Beatles. If anyone knows the Beatles, it's Joe. I know it's going to be a great read !!